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Revival is a word that is never mentioned in the Bible. Revive and reviving occur nine times in the Old Testament, and never in the New Testament. Yet the concept is definitely spread across the entire Scripture. There are a number of dictionary definitions, but when we speak about revival in a Scriptural sense, it basically means that we are dead or weak, but God infuses new life and strength into us and empowers us. “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

When we consider revival this way, we can see that revival is the very essence of Christianity. Without revival there is no Christianity, because Christianity begins with someone who is dead in sin, and transforms him, giving new life, through the power of God, by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Various times people have tried to implement Christianity by simply remaking individuals (for example, the “Christian” political movement), but this never works. Christianity must come from the power of God.

This is what we most need in our own lives, in our churches, in our communities. Better preaching, better rules, better government might all be good things, and important, but they will never be able to make up for a lack of revival, for a lack of God’s power. God must give us life or we are useless. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Jesus specifically ordered the apostles to wait until they received the power of God: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” All the things we could get done, preaching, evangelism, teaching, working! But God says wait. He doesn’t want us rushing around messing everything up by working in our own power.

I used to believe that Christianity could be promoted through politics. But what generally happens when Christians get involved in politics is that the Christians end up supporting a candidate who is not filled with the Spirit of God. God says wait. Wait until you can work with His power. Some people try to promote morality for the unsaved, through teaching, counseling, and admonition. God says wait. We want to rush forward and act. But God tells us to wait until we will do what His power can be behind. “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles.”

This is what revival is all about. It’s about living a life in the power of God instead of the our own power, about God taking a person who is dead in sin and purging away the sin and putting new life into the person so that he can live anew in power. Revival is not about our power being improved or strengthened. It’s about the power of God replacing our power.

Revival, then, is all about God. If we approach revival from the standpoint of selfish motives, we’re aimed at a dead end. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” We have to approach from the standpoint of God’s work in the world.

Revival begins in one person’s heart. It may—hopefully will—enter the church, but it starts with one person’s heart being completely submitted to God. Then when God works through him in the church, we say revival has started. The person who God used may not even be noticed. Maybe that’s the way it should be, because at its heart revival is God’s work.

But, on the other hand, it can lead to a misconception about revival, the idea that it comes to churches, to communities, even to countries. As long as we look for mass revival, we are on a road to failure! Revival always starts in one person’s heart. If we go to work to produce mass revival and don’t look at our own hearts first, we are headed for disappointment (or else a bunch of false converts).

When I want revival in the church, I first have to find revival in my own life. I have to have the power from on high, the infilling of the Spirit, flowing out of me to do the work of God. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Then I can bring revival to others.